Waihopai senior eights dominate at Lake Karapiro

ROWING

For the first time in history, Waihopai could have two senior eights on the dais at the national rowing championships on Lake Karapiro near Cambridge.

On Tuesday night, the Waihopai senior squad of Jessica Hayes, Morgan Shepherd, Ingrid Mitchell, Lori Comer, Katelyn Froude, Sarah Hamilton, Lisa Owen, Kristen Froude and coxswain Laura Mcmillan rowed to a clear victory.

Although the race was just a row-through for Saturday’s final and games may have been played between clubs, the Waihopai women were having none of it.

After a strong start but trailing in second for the first 1000 metres, the women were able to hold their pace with a top-three finish the goal, to secure a middle lane for the final.

However, as the race progressed, leaders North Shore began to slow and Waihopai moved through to take the lead.

A decisive call was made by coxswain Mcmillan and the crew pushed out to win by five seconds.

The men’s event was more of a race, with Hawke’s Bay taking the early advantage over Waihopai’s TJ Leeming, Thomas Jenkins, Ben Mcleod, Guy Redpath, Matt Malcolm, Mark O’connor, Ollie Behrent, Toby Pascoe and coxswain Mcmillan.

The crew stroked high at 43 for the first 500m before dropping to 38 for most of the 2000m race. Waihopai pushed up on the Bay crew while West End from Auckland also joined the party.

At 750m to go, Hawke’s Bay and West End powered through to take the first two spots while Waihopai chose not to sprint and held third place.

Coach John O’connor said it was mission accomplished. ‘‘We wrote the script for it and that’s exactly what happened. They were racing well and in control of the boat.’’

Although it is hard to tell how the finals for both of these boats will pan out, early signs are that the week could be finished off on a high.

Ollie Behrent had a tough repercharge in the men’s under-21 single scull coming in fifth, and will miss the next round of semifinals.

Scott Barnsdale of Waihopai, but rowing for Southern RPC, progressed to the next round with a second placing.

Both the Waihopai women’s club doubles made it to the semifinals, being top two in the same repercharge.

Jessica Hayes and Morgan Shepherd claimed first place in the repercharge while Ingrid Mitchell and Lori Comer had to settle for second behind their clubmates.

Both of these doubles will also compete in the women’s under-19 double, which begins tomorrow, with the final on Saturday and a medal could well be within reach.

Matt Malcolm and Mark O’connor won their men’s senior pair repercharge by a large distance, more than 100m, to progress to the A final on Saturday.

TJ Leeming had a good race in the men’s senior single to also progress to the A-final after placing third in his repercharge.

The 21-year-old lightweight will join Otago University’s Justin Evans to form a composite lightweight pair. They qualified on Tuesday and will race in the six lane A final on Saturday, with a medal a real target after placing third in their heat.

Racing this morning is Kristen Froude in the women’s under-21 single scull semifinal, as well as both the club doubles of Ingrid Mitchell and Lori Comer, and also Morgan Shepherd and Jessica Hayes who will race for a spot in the A final.

The rest of the day will serve as time off with a bit of training before the finals get under way tomorrow morning.